When I was looking around for furniture for my porch I gave myself the challenge of only using yard sale or Craiglist finds. I found everything I needed except for a small table in front of the sofa. I had an image of the table I wanted in my head and I hit the jackpot on a trip to Target.
Yes the top is white and yes the base is hot pink but with some spray paint and some additions on the top I could have a whole new table. Add to that the fact that it cost $19.99. I swung by Home Depot hoping to find something I could put on top. It had to be round and wooden. I didn’t have any luck in the lumber section or the kitchen section. I was hoping to find a lazy suzan insert for cabinets to serve as the table top. Nothing there.
I then went to the closet section and found some shelving at the end of the aisle. They had corner shelving pieces which once pieced together would fit perfectly.
They hang over the edges a bit but with some screws in place they could work. I wasn’t looking for the perfect table, just something that looked like the tables I had
stuck in my head.
I bought four shelves, took it all home and first spray painted the base with some oil rubbed bronze that I already had. It took two coats to get good coverage on the whole table base.
I then pre-drilled the table top from the underneath since this is how I would be securing each shelving unit to the top. I used clamps to hold each piece in place and screw it in.
Yes, I work in my garage. Yes, I bought a second table in case I messed up. No, I did not mess up and I was able to return the other table.
The grain of the shelves all run the same way so when putting them together they run in two different directions. The diagonal pieces match up. It actually works since I didn’t plan on filling in the gaps between the pieces. I only planned on painting or staining the table top.
I used some house paint that my father had mixed up, known in my family as ANZ gray. It is a mix of gray and brown. I mixed in a little water since by my foolproof method I decided I would be painting the paint on and then wiping it off right away. More on that later. I wanted the grain of the table to show through in addition to having color. I brushed it on with a foam brush and then quickly wiped it off with a rag.
Once it was dry I moved it to its’ new home. The grain shows through and gives the wood stain effect I was going for. The subtle gray picks up the gray in the floor while the grain showing through helps tie the table to the wicker sofa and chair.
One trip to Target, one to Home Depot, some spray paint, screws, a drill and some paint was all it took to transform this table. It is not in any way perfect. It is what I was looking for though, at a fraction of the cost.
I could have left the white formica top and painted that but I was going for the wood effect. Buying a simple table like this and transforming it to match your space puts your own stamp on it. I’ve seen this same table spray painted gold, turquoise as well as the table top painted a different color. Try stenciling the table top or using painters tape to create a stripe or pattern to match any room. Good luck!
